Love Next Door

started out great

love their friendship but i hate how they act like they’ve never kissed a person before when they share those intimate moments JEBAL you are 33…

first half was super good and i enjoyed the drama building up and even the supporting characters’ budding romance with the kid but i took a break for like 4 months bc i didn’t care to finish the last 4 episodes 😅

it just wasn’t giving at a certain point… like the ex-boyfriend coming to take her back was so random and i feel like no one really took her illness that seriously… and the mom losing her memories or whatever HELLO this random ass side plot just to get her and her husband back in love… super random. kind of annoying at times. silly and fun but also wish there was more to it. it seemed like nothing was really important tbh

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Romance bloomed. Then logic tripped, stumbled, and sobbed in the corner.

One of my favorite tropes is childhood friends-turned lovers, so this comes as no surprise that Love Next Door would be up my alley. Coupled that with charming actors such as Jung Hae In and Jung So Min, I was highly expecting this drama to be damn good. Where it started strong, especially love the banter and easy camaraderie between Choi Seung-Hyo and Bae Seok Ryo, I thought this was pretty much a done deal: an easy 10 points for me. But sadly, this was not. The drama’s attempts at realism, while admirable at first, became tedious and prolonged, and it’s no fault of the actors.

I get it really: these characters are supposed to be flawed because we know that no one is perfect. And while I commend people by being self-sacrificing for their loved ones, there comes a point where this self-righteousness becomes overbearing. Take in case Seok Ryu’s example. She was adamant about not letting people know that she and Seung Hyo started dating, for reasons she believed their families may not receive the news well. But we see that her parents have loved Seung Hyo and considered him as part of the family already even before they started dating. I don’t see why they would oppose him now that they are. Then she has this inkling that they may not end up together in the future. Now with that mindset, why even agree to be together in the first place, if you already had plans to abandon the person who has loved you for most of his life?

Then only when your partner suffers an injury, that you finally declare your love for him, only to reject him later when he proposes. I find this behavior extremely flaky. Seok Ryu did Seung Hyo a disservice by stringing him along, afraid that she will lose him to an ex-girlfriend who was not even in Seung Hyo’s consideration. Granted, it may be too early for Seong Hyo to suggest the idea of marriage, but can you really blame him? They are both already in their mid-30s, and he has waited so long for her to agree into a relationship, it’s not surprising that he wanted to “seal the deal.”

Speaking of flaky, Kang Dan Ho is no better. And it’s this so-called self-righteousness again that is at play. First, he claimed to be too good for Mo-Eum, then later revealed his affection for her in front of Mo-eum’s mother while Mo-eum was intoxicated. Is he hoping she will forget his momentary weakness when she sobers up the next morning? He then later backtracks at the slightest provocation that Mo-eum’s mother is against their pairing.

I’m not too sure what these characters are playing at, but if they were young, in their adolescent years, perhaps I will have forgiven them for their immaturity. But they are not. I could overlook their indecisiveness if it didn’t affect others, but it does. You can’t just have everyone agree to your terms alone, especially if you are in a relationship. There should be at least a semblance of balance between the giving and the taking. Just because you suffered a great deal more doesn’t give you the right to play victim all the time. You can only use this card a few times, but there’s a point when it loses its effectiveness.

When Seok Ryu points out to Mi Suk that Dong Jin is banking on their mother’s blatant favoritism, it’s the same concept. Her parents gave her brother many chances to screw up, and they excused his failures because of his childhood illness. But because Seok Ryu was always an excellent student, they demanded more from her. And then when Seok Ryu comes home after “failing” (losing her job and fiancée); instead of saying it’s okay, they will be supportive, their parents tried to kick her back out. Only when they found out about her sickness did they capitulate. Why does it need to take someone to be sick, for you to be supportive?

We can apply the same scenario to Geyong Jong and Hye Suk’s relationship. For the most part of the show, it looks like they could hardly stand each other being in the same room. Eating separately, sleeping separately. It’s no surprise that the path will lead to divorce. But it turns around only when Hye Suk goes missing and could have a probable memory loss.
I’m struggling through the second half of the drama, with all these curve balls thrown in to make the plot more dramatic, but it’s not making the show more endearing. In fact, the more I watch this drama, the more frustrated I get. And to think the show tried to liven things up, by inserting comedic elements that frankly fell flat. They were trying too hard to be funny that they’re really not.

There are a few redeeming points going for this drama. The message of friendship, family and love is well-meaning; in fact, this show excels in juxtaposing the different bonds. The fact that being brought up in better circumstances did not necessarily guarantee a happier life, or vice versa. The show also highlights the characters’ emphasis on “putting on a brave face” and the importance of “face,” arguing that these shouldn’t outweigh family and genuine friends. They are there for you to lean on when times get rough, the same that Dan Ho and Seung Hyo like to help those in need.

While it has its moments, Love Next Door is just a waste of the cast’s talents that could have been better utilized in another drama, given the right script. It tried to wrap up loose ends too quickly after dragging on others. There were an excessive amount of drunken scenes, over-the-top yelling, and contrived angst just to fill in long episodes that could have been better edited for length.

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Awesome

Love Next Door

I really don’t have much to complain about with this one! I loved it! The characters were three-dimensional, believable, and interesting! They made you care about them all, including the side characters! The acting was fabulous, the romance cute and sweet yet not superficial, and the stories engaging. I stayed interested and invested all the way through! Some people might say it lagged toward the end, but even though it was slower toward the end, I found the characters and their relationships so interesting to watch that I still quite enjoyed it without boredom or clock-watching. I rarely rewatch an Asian drama, even if I like it, but I’ll probably revisit this one in the future!

Also, some of the typical Asian drama BS that no one likes didn’t happen! No really stupid misunderstandings that go on forever, no really bad love triangle (there was another guy and another girl, but used well instead of stupidly/badly), no dumb long-standing break-up for dumb reasons followed by an extended seperation before reunion.

But one thing did surprise me–there was a lot more drama in the middle than I was expecting from such an otherwise light-hearted show! But they didn’t drag things out too much. This show really gives you the feels! ALL of them! Humor, love, angst, heartbreak, healing, warmth, joy, and fun. Multiple great kiss scenes, too! (The bed kissing scene was one of the best I’ve seen, imo)

The only “complaints” I could think of were that the secondary couple of the 2FL and 2ML was, in my opinion, a little rushed and the guy was a little bit weird in some ways. I didn’t understand his initial strong hesitation or why it suddenly changed. Also they didn’t get enough proper screen-time to make the depth of their feelings 100% believable, but you just have to assume a lot happens off-screen. Their chemistry was good (although that said, I thought they could have given us a better kiss than what we got, my opinion) in any case. The only other “complaint” is that the reconciliation of another couple could have been made a little more…rewarding? Technically dramatic though it was, in my opinion it lacked…something. I’m not sure what exactly I wanted or what I thought was missing, but…there was a lot of build-up and the reconciliation wrapped up so fast it made my head spin. I think I would have liked a slightly longer scene. Maybe more hugging, and a little more discussion.

But those two “complaints” are very mild, and did not detract from my enjoyment of the show. Also, they are just MY opinion, and you may not see those things that way at all. So don’t let my slight “grievances” with the show deter you! Add it to your watchlist now!

Oh, and it has a happy ending! (Though I would have liked to see the wedding/s and maybe even a time-skip to the kids in the future, but that’s just me being greedy :) )

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No Chaos, Just Great Characters and Even Better Chemistry

This is one of those dramas that pulls you in effortlessly and keeps you hooked without needing over-the-top twists or chaotic subplots. It’s such an easy watch (in the best way) addicting, comforting, and genuinely engaging from start to finish.

What really made it shine for me were the characters. Their chemistry felt so natural, and the banter was easily one of the highlights of the entire show. It never felt forced or overly dramatic. Just witty, warm, and believable. I found myself smiling through so many scenes because of how well the relationships were written.

I also have to mention both the main couple and the secondary couple. I completely fell in love with both. Usually, one couple ends up standing out more for me, but here they felt equally compelling, which made the whole experience even better. I was just as invested in one as I was in the other, and that’s honestly something I don’t see done this well very often.

Another thing I really appreciated is that the story didn’t rely on some wild, unnecessary subplot to stay interesting. It stayed grounded and focused on the characters and their connections, which made everything feel more natural and satisfying.

The only reason I’m not giving it a full 10 is because of the FL’s brother storyline with the ML’s colleague. Not only did it feel tedious and unnecessary, but it also got way too much screentime for what it was. It didn’t really add anything meaningful to the overall plot, and I found myself skipping most of their scenes.

Also, a small general frustration, this isn’t just about this drama, but something I’ve been noticing more lately with K-Drama shows: the way finales handle weddings/engagements. It feels like every time couples get engaged, but we rarely actually get to see the wedding or that final step. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it does leave things feeling slightly incomplete, and I wish they’d follow through just a bit more.

Even with those flaws, this drama was amazing and super easy to recommend if you’re looking for something heartfelt, character-driven, and genuinely enjoyable.

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Bad script

I watched it for the second couple and the main couple's parents because the scenes with them were better. The main couple was also great, but at one point, the scenes alternated between happy and sad, filled with tears. At one point, it was very predictable. I love the entire cast, but the script could have been written differently. I especially enjoyed the scenes with the main couple's parents. Their fathers' friendship was funny, two allies hiding from their wives. The mothers had a slightly more complicated relationship because of Seok-ryu's mother, but they overcame their problems. Dan-oh's story was touching, and his relationship with Mo-eum was very charming, without too much drama. Seok-ryu's brother could have been more present. At one point, the neighbors were home more often than he was, like having dinner together, etc.

I liked the fact that the issues with ex-partners weren't complicated and had been completed earlier, and didn't drag on throughout the series. I liked the main actor's ex-girlfriend because she didn't cause unnecessary problems and even rooted for the main couple.

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Souce of dopamine for me ✨

I only chanced upon this gem two years after it's premiere and now I'm like "why didn't I watch this sooner?". It is such a heart-warming romance about two childhood friends but it also showed glimpses of life events and importance of loved ones' support.
I love everything about this drama: the butterflies from the romance, realistic banter between the cast, cute second couple, friendship between the mothers and awesome editing especially the brilliant subtle change of title at the end of each episode. Awesome acting by the leads too.
There are only a few dramas that I want to rewatch even before it's finished, and this is one of them.

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Not perfect, but I fell in love with these charachters

I really liked this drama. I went into it with high expectations and it didn't disappoint. Is it a perfect and flawless series? Absolutely not, it certainly has some. It's full of cliches and unnecessary drama, I wouldn't even call it a comedy as it's classified. Above all, it started very well, towards the middle it got lost, but luckily in the last few episodes it went back to being even more beautiful than at the beginning. I fell in love with the characters, even with their flaws, and it seemed like a realistic series, in its own way, because life isn't perfect.
The love story is super cute (I love friends to lovers) and the second couple is gorgeous. I LOVED THEM SO MUCH!😭❤️
So, Love next door isn’t perfect but it's worth watching, and laughing, crying, suffering and falling in love with these characters. I’ll miss them.

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Mediocre drama

this drama is so overrated like seriously I started watching it because of all of the hype from TikTok to ended up watching boring show with a pathetic ML and FL seriously a 34 dude acting like teenager.. getting angry for nothing ( you don't love me than fine don't talk to me than I can't response to your call 😒 ) a FL is so immature and hella loud she's not better than him .... even if you're childhood friends we don't Bicker like this is not even funny it's childish... for someone who have in family with stomach cancer and has removed a part of it it's impossible that she can eat that much .....i skipped alot of it i was dying from bordioum one of the worst drama this Year! Mediocre drama...and the fandom is so pathetic anyone who doesn't like the drama are their enemy ...I said I don't like the ml acting they strated to attack me like their Life depand on it 😒. ..you have the right to love it as you like and I have the right to hate it as much as I want...

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Such a disappointment of a potentially good drama.

You know what’s crazy I know these actors can act. I’ve seen Jung Hae In provide a stellar performance before, and I’ve watched Jung So Min have so much chemistry with Seo In Guk in The Smile Has Left Your Eyes that they make guest appearances together in new shows years later. But this isn’t hate toward the actors, it’s hate toward the script or directors because the episodes are just too long and too slow. It feels like nothing is happening and everyone is running around in circles. We got so much of Seunghyo’s pov so we know how much he likes Seok Ryu. But we hardly get any perspective of Seungyho from Seok Ryu’s pov.

I’m pretty sure we are shown one glimpse of her when she was a kid saying that she liked him, but that is genuinely it. Like their confessions lacked sincerity and if you’ve watched enough dramas I feel like you can tell they’re just following a script if that makes sense. There’s no casual skinship that a normal real couple would have. And jumping to marriage when we’ve barely even seen them date just feels jarring. It looks like Seok Ryu is just reluctantly accepting his feelings and only confides the truth when something huge happens to Seunghyo or when it’s convenient for her. Like her confession to this boy that’s been in love with her for years, is simply “I realised I’m bored without you for like a day so we might as well date”. And just the main thing is NOTHING IS HAPPENING IN THIS SHOW. The plot doesn’t move forward and no one learns from their mistakes. The two dads have the most chemistry out of everyone.

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Its like eating a communion wafer

This is the most Bland drama that I've watched this entire year.

There are multiple plot twists that have no payoff and hold no bearing over the story.

You'll be told the most sad or depressing thing about a character only to find out in an episode or two they'll be fine and it never really mattered anyways.

Its strange.

Relationship takes FOERVER TO GET GOING. Too much back and forth and the side stories were not compelling.

I feel like the show would have felt fresh and mature maybe like 10 or 20 years ago.

But we know how childhood romance dramas go, we've seen a hundred and this was one of the blandest.

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